Belly Laughs with Ollie!

Ollie has just started having real belly laughs and it's possibly the cutest thing I've ever heard in my life! He currently finds it hilarious when we stand above him and shake around. :)

Enjoy this little video! I know it will put a smile on your face too!

=^..^=

Muppet Could Be Here In Under 99 Days!

According to my iPhone app, Muppet should arrive in about 99 days, or 14 weeks! That is nuts! I feel unprepared! I feel I must start shopping! I feel I must start decorating!!...I feel like I may be losing my mind slowly. :) Knowing the baby is coming really does send one into a bit of a nesting panic. If I were a forest animal, I'd start burying acorns in preparation, or gathering twigs and pieces of string. Instead, I get out cleaning supplies and start scrubbing cabinets and toilets. At least Chris doesn't complain! :)

My tummy is becoming the center of my world now, as everything seems to revolve around it. People now freely comment on it without worrying about offending me, it causes me to get stuck in bean bag chairs at work, it provides comfort to my nephew who absent-mindfully rubs it while we play games on my iPhone, it causes me to waddle when I walk, crave cake and pie all day long, and forces me to go out and buy maternity pants with the FULL panel...*sigh*. It feels so huge already that I can't even imagine how much bigger it will get in the months ahead!

As of week 25, Muppet is about the size of a rutabaga. It weighs roughly between 1.5 and 2 pounds. Right now Muppet is putting on it's cute baby fat which helps plump out those wrinkles and will eventually cause ladies to stop and pinch it's little cheeks or legs. Apparently it's eyes are beginning to open now (though there isn't much to see), but the pigment still isn't developed unlike Muppet's hair which now is beginning to show colour and texture! Muppet's brain is also starting to work overtime, allowing Muppet to react to noises now by increases it's pulse rate, or it's activity. That may be why Muppet is most active when I'm watching television! I have noticed the baby tends to be the most active now around 10:30pm when I'm trying to sleep, and it's hard to ignore the little thumps as I know I will miss them when they are gone! I'm trying to pay attention to each little jab so I can hold onto the memory, because world, I am a sap. :) The other day while grocery shopping, I got a sharp punch to the kidneys which hurt like heck and then suddenly made me have to pee so badly! I yelped in surprise, scaring an elderly man who must have thought I was going into labour. *sigh* These are the moments I'm going to miss! ;)

The one thing I'm not going to miss is this heartburn that has gotten out of control! Because Muppet is growing so well, my insides are all squished together, which makes heartburn a sure bet! I'm taking tums to try to conteract it, but they only do so much. I just need to learn to eat smaller meals, and eat slowly...which is basically impossible for me. :)

In this picture, I am telling Sawyer to be patient for his new little brother or sister. ;)

Here is a photo of the cats enjoying Muppet's bassinet. Nobi has called dibs on it, and isn't afraid to let Muppet know how he feels about the baby coming and taking it from him. :)

=^..^=

Pregnancy Insomnia at 22 Weeks!

Here we are, at 22 weeks and man am I tired! I have been having a really difficult time sleeping lately! I either can't fall asleep because of little annoyances (blanket too heavy, clothes too scratchy, sheets too wrinkled, moon too bright, room too dark etc.) or I have mini wake ups, where I wake up every couple hours. Often I feel exhausted because my dreams have been quite bizarre, and I can't turn them off! I cannot seem to find any peace or rest in that crazy mind of mine. I'm thinking my mind is helping my body prepare for the lack of sleep that will be coming my way, even though I personally think it should let me catch as many zzz's as I can now. But, how can I argue with myself? Don't I know I'm always right? ;)

Little Muppet is either going to be in Riverdance when it grows up, or will be an Olympic marathon runner, as it is moving non stop now. Any time I sit down, I can feel it punching and kicking away. I also find it funny that anytime I try to show someone, it decides to stop. It has it's father's sense of humour. :) The other day it was making my tummy jump on the left side (that is the side I feel it most on) and so I called Chris in to see it. He came over and leaned over my left side with his head down close to my tummy, hoping to catch a glimpse of the tummy ripples. Of course Muppet stopped at that moment. Chris decided to encourage it by saying in a loud, deep voice, "Hello baby!" Suddenly, on the left side, my tummy punched out, right at Chris. I think he scared the poor child!

I've started to get a few faint stretch marks on my hips...oh the memories of puberty. It kind of feels like I'm reliving my teenage years all over again. Acne, stretch marks, mood swings, sudden fat deposits in places that didn't have any before...heck, I'm even getting furrier! My tummy looks like a peach with all that fuzz (James and the GIANT peach)! Who knew you could go through the joys of puberty more than once in a lifetime!

At 22 weeks, Muppet is about the size of a papaya, or the length of a spaghetti squash and weighs around 1 pound! That's like a bag of sugar (but you know the baby is even sweeter!) ;) If you were to see Muppet at this stage, it's eyelashes, hair and eyebrows would be white, as pigment still hasn't developed. *Oh, it's kicking...It knows I'm talking about it.* At this stage, Little Muppet is also learning how to use it's hands and the sense of touch. With this new sense, it probably touches it's face and grabs it's umbilical cord. It also can hear even more clearly, so we need to make sure we're reading it a story every night.

One thing Little Muppet will be hearing a lot of is my Anne Murray CD 'There's A Hippo In My Tub'. I grew up listening to her when I was small (though my version was on a cassette) and knew it would be a staple in Muppet's childhood too. It has so many of my favourites on it! Some classics include: Inch Worm, Teddy Bear's Picnic, You Are My Sunshine and of course, Animal Crackers. When I heard Anne Murray was coming to town, I knew I had to get a copy of the CD signed and I am so happy I did! She even inscribed it with, "To Little Muppet" for me! :) Funnily enough, this was all done before I had even tried getting pregnant. I just knew one day I hopefully would be lucky enough to be and that her wonderful songs would be there through it all.

Belly Watch!
It's here and it's bigger than ever! ;) It keeps on growing and now it's starting to crave something I thought it never would...CANDY! I am a salt person, I've always been a salt person. My Hallowe'en candy always lasted me until the next Hallowe'en because, well...I didn't really want to eat it. The chips would be gone in seconds, but candy? I'd trade it for a chunk of bread with a hunk of cheese any day! Now? All I want is sour, sweet goodness! Give me chocolate and cherry blasters and we'll be best friends for life! Who is this monster I've become? Truly I am losing my identity to this growing belly! :) I'm trying to stay good though, and only letting myself have a few sweets once and awhile. I try to keep that evil, sugar craving voice quiet with snacks that have natural sugars like berries and juice. We shall see how long this craving lasts for though...Oh, how I long for the days of pump cheese... ;)

=^..^=

Half Way There at 20 and 21 Weeks!

I cannot believe we have already passed the 20 week mark! We are half way to the finish line! Time is passing so quickly, it's unbelievable! I almost want to stop time just so I can keep enjoying being pregnant right now, as it's something I've come to enjoy immensely. Technically we are on our 21 week, but I'm back tracking as I'm late once again.

Things are really going well right now. I have been feeling great, eating like a champion and feeling super positive about things in general. I don't think I've ever felt better about myself than I do right now to be honest. I'm pretty sure this is what my body was designed for. :) 

One thing we've been struggling with is getting the nursery organized, as we don't have much room in our house and we've been trying to figure out how to merge our furniture together. Sadly, poor Chris is going to have to share his office with me, as there is no where else to put my things! And what do we do with our futon?! I love that thing! *sigh*. We also have to find space for our treadmill, as I will need that later this winter... *bigger sigh*. In other nursery news, we finally picked a paint colour! It's called 'Pooh Bear Yellow'. It's nice and soft and neutral, so I think it will look great! We are thinking of painting this week sometime, if we ever move the furniture out of the room. ;) The theme we are going with is Classic Pooh (or as I call it, shirtless Pooh). We are going with light wood, soft pale yellow, white and cream mostly and accenting the room with bumble bees. I have already been getting little treasures from family that they have collected along our pregnancy, so I'm super excited to have the nursery done so we can display them!

My friend Bonnie has recently started her own business, "Only One", on Etsy selling the most adorable hand-knitted stuffies! She has made so many cute toys, from monkeys, owls, birdies and bears to giraffes and even nursery mobiles! I am lucky enough to have received Mervin the Giraffe (who is super awesome), but now am even luckier as I am getting my own bumble bee mobile! :D I can't wait to put it up in the nursery! You can buy her unique critters for yourself or someone you love at  http://www.etsy.com/shop/bgordon2.

As of week 20 (half way point!), Muppet was the length of a large banana, about 10 inches from head to heel. At this stage, Muppet is swallowing more and more each day, keeping it's digestive system on it's toes. :) I have also been feeling Little Muppet moving around so much lately, especially in the evening, around 9:30pm. You can actually see it flutter against my stomach if you look really closely. I think it likes the sound of the television, because it seems to stop moving when I mute the t.v. and then dance around when I turn it back up. I also seem to notice it move around when I sit at my computer. I know I'm going to miss those little moments we share.

As of this week (21 weeks), Muppet weighs 3/4 of a pound and is the length of a large carrot! Which reminds me of how when I was small, I remember going to our family's garden and digging up fresh carrots from the ground and eating them without even washing them off first. The taste of dirt really added to the whole experience I think! ;) I also would walk around, annoying everyone, by constantly saying, "Ehhhh, what's up doc?" :) At week 21, Muppet's eyebrows and eyelids are present and I should soon start feeling it's kicks and punches a little more... intensely.

Belly Bump! I am so pregnant! Look at that tummy! ;) Our dog Sawyer seems to think it's funny. I wonder how he'll be with a new little brother or sister. He'll probably try sitting on it at first, as he loves sitting on people (he thinks he's a lap dog), but I think Muppet and him will become best buds. :) 

=^..^=

16 (weeks) and Pregnant!

Since I just posted my 15 weeks the other day, not much has changed, though I have discovered the annoyance of heartburn. Oh man! I have never been one to get heartburn, so when I heard people complain about it, I just thought they were overreacting. Well, I retract that stance and can now sympathize as I am experiencing bad heartburn everyday. No matter what I eat, no matter how bland, it prevails! I have read that this is very common for some women, and that eventually, it too shall pass, so I'll just chug back carton after carton of milk and wait.

Another change is that I am slowly getting into maternity clothing! I have broken down and actually started wearing some maternity jeans, as many pairs of mine are now starting to dig into my ever-growing gut, which is a little uncomfortable. I'm not going to lie...they are actually quite lovely. They may not look amazing, but my tummy is really loving it. I can eat food and let my belly expand without worrying that I am cutting off circulation to Little Muppet... which means I'll probably start growing as big as a house soon. ;)

At week 16, Little Muppet is about the size of a turnip! It is starting to accumulate some baby fat, which will continue through the pregnancy. I can't wait to see those chubby little legs! Another exciting thing is that the baby is now starting to listen to the world around it! It is able to hear us talking, the dog barking, and my husband... "singing". ;) I hope it will become accustomed to the sound of our dog barking, as this is a habit he's gotten into lately and we just can't seem to break it. I have read that if they hear barking often enough, they will be able to sleep right through any doggy outbursts. So fingers crossed everyone!

Now that we are at week 16, I read that I may soon be able to feel my little one fluttering around. Well, yesterday I think I just may have! I was lying down in bed after a shower, massaging my belly when suddenly I felt this light popping feeling. I looked down at my tummy and saw a small ripple go across the left side of my belly, right by my belly button! It was really freaky! (And no, it wasn't gas!) I'm thinking that maybe the baby was doing a little u-turn in my belly! :D

Now I'd like to do a little shout out to my husband. I have always known that I am the luckiest girl alive to have my best friend as my husband, but now that I am pregnant, I am realizing just how lucky I truly am. Over the past few months, he has grown into an even more loving and supportive partner then I could have ever dreamed of. He works so hard to support our little family, and yet thinks of me in the middle of it all. The other day, he took our dog Sawyer out for his walk while I had my shower. I heard him call my name, so I pulled back the shower curtain to see what he wanted, and there he stood with a little bouquet of wildflowers he had picked on his walk for me. Just that simple little action of love and thoughtfulness shows me how much he loves and appreciates me, and really reveals how wonderful he'll be as a father. He's always willing to listen, to settle my overactive mind, to calm my nerves, to make me laugh (like no one else can), to be silly with me, to share and most importantly, to love me and our little family unconditionally. Thank you so much hon... I love you lots! XO

=^..^=

Second Trimester!

Yahoo! We are now in our second trimester! Bring on the energy and overall good feeling-ness! :) So far at 14 weeks pregnant I have noticed that I am really starting to show. I discovered this when I went to put on my work pants and found they were threatening to pop the button right off. It sounds like I need to either invest in some maternity pants, or get a belly band that holds up unbuttoned pants while providing support for the ever growing tummy. I'm not going to lie, I love feeling my belly now. It's getting firmer and rounder all the time and I love knowing that there is a little one in there just waiting to meet us!

(Warning! TMI ahead!) Another things that is threatening to burst is my bra! Geeze louise! I thought my ladies were out of control before, now I feel like I'm drowning in a boob ocean! I'm going to have to go and get my measurements done so I can get some good boobage support. I guess the one good thing is that they will finally be useful for something instead of just being a pain in the neck. I truly hope that I will be able to breastfeed, otherwise I will have to conclude that God has an odd sense of humour.

One thing I'm glad to announce is that my appetite has returned and  I am even starting to have cravings. The other day we were driving past Taco Bell (I know, I know...) and all of a sudden "CHEESE SAUCE!" popped into my head. For the next few days, all I wanted was what Chris' sister refers to as 'pump cheese'. Mmmm... When we went grocery shopping the other day, I saw that Cheez Whiz was on sale. I jumped up and down, asking Chris if I could get it. I was so sure he'd say no, but to my surprise he said, "Look in the cart", and there sat a lovely jar of processed cheese sauce. I totally started crying in the middle of aisle 4.

Another craving I'm having is for sushi...which *sigh* I can't really have. I have had so many dreams of sushi and maki rolls dipped in soya sauce. I think I'm going to go and just get a big plate full of california rolls, as they don't contain raw fish, but have yummy rice, cucumber, carrot, avocado and imitation crab meat. Yum!! To ensure this baby loves sushi, I want to buy it the Melissa and Doug Wooden Sushi Set. It is super cute! It even comes with chopsticks! :D

Little Muppet is now the size of a navel orange or the size of a fist! The baby can now frown, grimace, squint and pee! It can even hold it's head up from it's little chest. Apparently it's face is also starting to look more human then alien, as it's eyes are now closer together on the front of it's face and it's ears are on the side of it's head instead of on it's neck. I wonder who it will resemble more, Chris or me? I hope it has it's Daddy's eyes. :)

Bump watch! As I said before, my belly is really starting to show. Now that the uterus has moved into the abdomen, you can actually feel it above the pelvic bone! I'm supposed to start gaining weight on my hips, sides and legs (I hope not, as they are big enough now, thank-you-very-much!).

=^..^=

http://www.melissaanddoug.com/

Our First Glimpse Of Little Muppet!

We went for our first ultrasound the other day and I can't even begin to share how amazing that experience was!

Being a first time mom, I obviously over-react to every little twinge and cramp I feel. Somedays I even wondered if I was still pregnant, I mean, when you can't see something, you start to wonder if it's even there! So going in for my ultrasound was just what the doctored ordered...literally. :)

I was instructed to drink a whole bunch of water, how much I am not really sure, but I decided that 2 bottles of water should do it. I started drinking my first bottle about a half hour before we were to leave for the hospital, which of course resulted in me needing to pee right before we went out the door. I decided to quickly top off my second bottle to make up for the water I ...uh...wasted. We got in the car, and I pulled out my second bottle and started to drink. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot at the hospital, I exclaimed to my husband, "I gotta pee!!" We checked in, and then I ran to the bathroom...*sigh* Another wasted bottle of water. I then filled up my bottle and as I filled out my paperwork, I chugged that water down like it was going out of style but on sale for 75% off. (Who can resist a deal like that?) ;)

The sonographer approached me and asked, "Do you have a full bladder?", to which I responded, "...I did...But I had to pee super bad!" Apparently she felt I was 'hydrated' enough anyways, so it was all good. :)

My husband wasn't able to go into the room with me at first, as the sonographer wanted to do all the measurements and stuff before sharing with us, so I waited until he was invited back into the room to hear whatever news she had for us. I have never been so nervous in my life! At one point, I was like, "Can she not find the baby?!" Thankfully, that was not the case. She called Chris into the room, and then showed us the most magical thing we have ever seen, our little baby! When it first came onto the screen, both of happily exclaimed, "It's a baby!" It was so adorable...yes, I am going to be one of those mothers. It was moving around, kicking it's little legs, and at one point, it's arm and hand were so clear we could count the fingers! Watching it's little heartbeat was also amazing. It fluttered around in it's chest like a little bird's. I kept apologizing to it as I laughed, as it made it jump around in my belly. I still can't believe that a little person is kicking up a storm inside me and I can't even feel it! It's so crazy, but having the ultrasound really made everything feel real for the first time. Seeing Chris' face light up as soon as he saw his Little Muppet on the screen is something I will carry with me forever.

Little Muppet is 11 weeks 6 days and is about the size of a large plum now. It is almost fully formed. Soon it's hands will form into little fists, and one day I am sure that I will feel them flailing around in my tummy. Right now, it's taking advantage of all the room I've got, and is preforming either water ballet, or some form of karate, as it is kicking and squirming all around.

Here is my belly at 11 weeks 6 days. I am definitely starting to show, though I just look like I let myself go instead of looking pregnant. I find my tummy hangs over my pants, and we all know how sexy that can be. People probably think I'm a frequent diner at McDonalds, which is totally the opposite, as I find my hunger has diminished. This little baby doesn't want me to eat, though I have to so I can push through my nausea. :P  I go about my days wearing baggier shirts and yoga pants. They hide the flab and are very comfortable.

=^..^=

10 Weeks Pregnant!

Bump Watch!

We decided to start taking photos of my baby bump this week and I guarantee most of that bump is bloating. Sometimes after I eat I balloon up so much that I look about 5 months pregnant! I find I can't eat large meals as easily as I could, as I tend to feel really sick afterwards. (Like when I pigged out during the Lost finale....ooooohhhh my tummy....). I really feel thirsty all the time, and am starting to really want fruit and yogurt. Other then that, I'm just starting to get a little dizzy, and am still enjoying the blessing of morning sickness.

At 10 weeks, the baby is about the size of a small lime and it's vital organs are starting to function. It is growing tiny nails on it's fingers and toes and it's skin is growing peach-fuzz hair. Already it's moving around and kicking it's little legs, though I won't feel that for a while. I hope it finds my tummy sounds soothing...as it has been quite talkative lately.

May 24, 2010

=^..^=